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August 2007 Action Plans Can Save A Life
This is a true story. On our way to vacation in Oregon this summer, we were detoured by the Oregon Department of Roads due to multiple fires that ravaged parts of the many national forests in the state. Prior to taking the detour, we asked the roads worker for turn-by-turn instructions to be sure we would not get lost in an unfamiliar area. Upon taking the 14-mile detour, we came to the end of the road. It was a service road utilized by the Department of Roads. It was also a dead end. Another worker suggested we take our first right turn on the nearest gravel road through Malheur National Forest. He noted that it would eventually take us through the forest to an alternate highway, which would take us back to Highway 20, our original route. Upon entering the forest, we noted two concerns immediately. This was a one-lane road designed for utility vehicles and backing up was not an option- moving forward was our only choice. On the left was a ravine and on the right was a hill. The road was riddled with rocks and small boulders. Within 15 minutes of entering the forest, the bottom of our Windstar Van began to scrape along the boulders. It was time for an action plan. We decided that the men would get out and walk in front of the vehicle. Less weight created a higher clearance, and they could attempt to move some of the stones out of the way. Since we were only able to travel 2 to 3 miles per hour, we turned off the air conditioning to prevent the car from overheating. At that time, we noted that a liquid was dripping out of the bottom of the car. We suspected oil, but wouldn’t be able to check it until we were out of the forest. After approximately 45 minutes of driving, tossing rocks and boulders and trying to stay calm, another glitch occurred. To our right at the top of the hill there was smoke billowing. The detour had directed us from the fire at Highway 20 but moved us right next to the fire in the forest. Ashes were coming down on top of our car and the heat could be felt by all of us. It was time for implementing an emergency plan. The forest had been evacuated because of the fire. It looked doubtful that we would receive any assistance. Our cell phone service did not work in the highly mountainous region. We needed a “what-if” plan if were to survive should the fire come over the hill. We had blankets and decided that if the fire did come into our immediate area, we would leave the van and slide down the ravine to the river. We could wet our blankets and attempt to walk out of the forest along the riverbanks. It was important to try and get help prior to a potential worst-case scenario, so we got out a hand mirror and tried to signal the helicopters that flew over us. These helicopters were carrying water to the fire and made frequent trips over our air space. We also decided that if we continued to honk our van horn (in the Morse code “SOS” pattern) as we were moving forward, perhaps a firefighter or park ranger would hear us and come to help. We were ready to be found or ready to survive the fire regardless of what happened. The good news is that after more than an hour of this, an old pickup truck came behind us on the path. It was a local farmer and his wife going to check on his cattle in the fire zone. They promised us that the path would lead us out and were willing to show us the way to the highway. Our next challenge would be how to get the truck in front of us. Thank goodness there was a portion of the hill that flattened out and the truck was precariously able to go around our van and lead the way out of the forest. Although we bent the van frame, punctured our oil pan and bent the transmission casing, we were all alive and back on the road to our original destination. Like all life lessons, I pondered what I should learn from this event. I have decided that this scenario is much like the scenarios that we use when we are forming an Action Plan. An Action Plan is an effective tool that can be used to help your business meet its objectives and goals. You want to create a statement of objective/goals. In my case, the goal was to get my family safely to Sisters, Oregon for vacation. You then need to select three to five objectives. Our objectives were to 1. Get the van safely out of the forest to the highway with as little damage as possible, 2. Insure that none of our family members were hurt in the process, 3. Avoid the forest fire at all costs. You then need to decide how you will implement these objectives. Decide the following: 1. What needs to be done? 2. By whom and when? 3. What resources will be used? 4. What evidence indicates progress? 5. How and when will evidence be gathered? In any Action Plan, you want to set attainable and realistic goals. One of our goals could have been that we wanted our vehicle to turn into a hover-van. That would have been awesome, but not attainable. Instead, we chose to be safe and get out of the forest. That was a team goal that we could accomplish. Now I ask you, how will you meet your goals and survey your way out of the fire? The easiest way to do this is by having an Action Plan. Give it a try; it might save the life of your business.
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July 2007 Fear of failure Fear of failure is one of the greatest fears people have. Fear of failure is closely related to fear of criticism and fear of rejection. Successful people overcome their fear of failure. Fear incapacitates unsuccessful people.
The Law of Feedback states: there is no failure; there is only feedback. Successful people look at mistakes as outcomes or results, not as failure. Unsuccessful people look at mistakes as permanent and personal.
“Whatever humans have learned had to be learned as a consequence only of trial and error experience. Humans have learned only through mistakes.”
Most people self-limit themselves. Most people do not achieve a fraction of what they are capable of achieving because they are afraid to try—because they are afraid they will fail.
Take these steps to overcome your fear of failure and move yourself forward to getting the result you desire:
Step One: Take action. Bold, decisive action. Do something scary. Fear of failure immobilizes you. To overcome this fear, you must act. When you act, act boldly.
Action gives you the power to change the circumstances or the situation. You must overcome the inertia by doing something. Dr. Robert Schuller asks, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” What could you achieve? Be brave and just do it. If it doesn’t work out the way you want, then do something else. But DO SOMETHING NOW.
Step Two: Persist. Successful people just don’t give up. They keep trying different approaches to achieving their outcomes until they finally get the results they want. Unsuccessful people try one thing that doesn’t work and then give up. Often people give up when they are on the threshold of succeeding.
Step Three: Don’t take failure personally. Failure is about behavior, outcomes, and results. Failure is not a personality characteristic. Although what you do may not give you the result you wanted, it doesn’t mean you are a failure. Because you made a mistake, doesn’t mean that you are a failure.
Step Four: Do things differently. If what you are doing isn’t working, do something else. There is an old saying, “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.” If you’re not getting the results you want, then you must do something different. Most people stop doing anything at all, and this guarantees they won’t be successful.
Step Five: Don’t be so hard on yourself. Hey, if nothing else, you know what doesn’t work. Failure is a judgement or evaluation of behavior. Look at failure as an event or a happening, not as a person.
Step Six: Treat the experience as an opportunity to learn. Think of failure as a learning experience. What did you learn from the experience that will help you in the future? How can you use the experience to improve yourself or your situation? Ask yourself these questions:
(1) What was the mistake?
(2) Why did it happen?
(3) How could it have been prevented?
(4) How can I do better next time?
Then use what you learned from the experience to do things differently so you get different results next time. Learn from the experience or ignore it.
Step Seven: Look for possible opportunities that result from the experience. Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, says “every adversity, every failure and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or a greater benefit.” Look for the opportunity and the benefit.
Step Eight: Fail forward fast. Tom Peters, the management guru, says that in today’s business world, companies must fail forward fast. What he means is that the way we learn is by making mistakes. So if we want to learn at a faster pace, we must make mistakes at a faster pace. The key is that you must learn from the mistakes so you make so you don’t repeat them.
You can reach Carol by email at: carol@urpr.biz |
June
2007 Collaborative
Sales As
promised in my April 2007 column, we will be discussing ways to
sharpen your sales skills throughout the year. Sometimes even a
minor change can help redirect your energies in a more positive
direction. This results in greater sales
totals. We have
all heard the old adage, “People do not want to be sold
anything; most people like to buy.” In other words, when
someone buys or purchases something, it is an active process. As
part of this process, it is imperative that the salesperson
participates as an attentive listener. To be an attentive listener,
remember these three rules: 1.
Maintain eye contact with
your customer when they are speaking. Remember, there is a big
difference between maintaining eye contact and staring. Staring is
just outright creepy. Good eye contact means that you are
participating by shaking your head in agreement and maintaining
appropriate facial expressions. If you look away while the other
person is speaking or if you look down at a brochure or notes in
your hand, you may distract your listener and lose control of your
environment. 2.
While you are listening
to the information shared by your customer, be sure to repeat the
important points back to the speaker. This will insure that you
understand the information. More importantly, it relays the message
that you sincerely care about the knowledge you are receiving and
want to get it right. 3.
Not only should you
repeat back the message, remember to identify the feelings behind
it. This works especially well with customers who are angry because
it validates their feelings and shows your empathy for their
problem. “It sounds like you are unhappy with the copier that you
purchased.” or “If I understand you correctly, it sounds like the
assembly directions were confusing.” This tool can encourage a
person with a quieter demeanor to become more verbal and it gives
an angry person the opportunity to cool
down. The benefits of this easy but important tool will
be: - If
you are sincere when you communicate in this fashion, your
customers and prospects will like you. The only thing you want them
to “buy” is you.
- You
are going to find out what is truly important to your prospective
client. As a result, your focus will change to the advantages you
present to that particular buyer as you are presenting services or
product. An example would be, “It sounds like you really enjoy the
outdoors, and this coat is waterproof. This is an important
advantage when you wear it in inclement weather.”
- Since
you are communicating more effectively, you will have better
knowledge of that prospect. This information will allow you to
prepare for any objections they may have. It prepares you because
the prospect will have specific objections, not random objections.
For example a specific objection would be, “This is the wrong size
for my living room.” A random objection is, “I just don’t think I
am interested.”
The
sales process is about helping your customers solve a problem. You
are not trying to force them to agree with your point of view. If
you are hearing objections from your customer, this means that they
are really asking you for help. You are most definitely in a
position to do so. You must be prepared and informed. Informed not
only in your area of expertise, but any competition as well. You
will remember to ask questions, be an active listener, and never
panic. When you panic, you lose control. If you
want to maintain control in any sales situation, you must remember
to always be prepared. You will practice and prepare optimal
responses to the most common questions about your product, services
and your organization. Again, always ask questions, to truly
understand your prospect’s reality. When you
are an active listener, you are a better salesperson. You are part
of a collaborative sales process. When you stop asking questions,
you stop caring about the prospects concerns, which can make your
confidence disappear. If you talk too much, you end up defending
your positions. You will tend to beg for the sale. Worst-case
scenario is that you may start to discount your products or
services. The goal must always be that you work for a better
understanding of your customers’ true
issues. |
May 2007 Shortcuts In this column, there have never been any taboo business topics.
We discuss everything possible to help your business grow and
improve your personal success.
However, it can be fun to break away occasionally and share some
fun tips that will make your life easier. This information will
allow you additional time to concentrate on the things that are
important. I hope you enjoy these little morsels. I encourage you
to email your own ideas and shortcuts to me. I would love to share
them with our readers in a future column.
Email can be a huge culprit when it comes to zapping precious time
from our workdays. There are a lot of unorthodox short cuts you can
take that can help you in this area.
One of my favorite methods is to contact my future self. You can go
to free websites such as www.futureme.org and send yourself a
message to simplify your life. Do you need a reminder to pay your
quarterly taxes? Is it important to meet with your Business Banker
before the end of the year? Do not wait until you feel that last
minute panic. Send yourself an email in the future as a friendly
reminder.
Typing multiple emails can become a time consuming task. Be smart
and teach your keyboard to assist you with easy shortcuts. Try the
free auto hotkey for Windows users (www.autohotkey.com/download)
or the inexpensive text expander for Mac (www.smileonmymac.com/textexpander).
Once you load it into your computer, you will be able to type out
letters that expand to sentences. An example would be typing the
letters btw. This would automatically produce the sentence “by the
way.” You will be able to unleash the full potential of your
keyboard by making it more efficient.
Sending large files via email can cause problems for the sender and
recipient. There are ways that you can prevent this from happening.
A free service that will benefit anyone sending large files is www.yousendit.com. This site
will allow you to store files as large as a gig on its server. Your
contacts will receive a link that they can use when they are ready
to retrieve the files. This means no attachments to clog up your
inbox.
If you still do not have the ability to access you email outside of
your office, it is time you turn your email into a webmail account.
You can do this with a free gmail drive extension if you are a
Windows user at www.viksoe.dk/code/gmail.htm
or get gDisk if you are a Mac user at gdisk.sourceforge.net. With
today’s technology, you should not have any excuse that prevents
you from accessing your data away from your home or office.
I am a strong believer in taking your message to the streets. You
need to have the ability to speak openly in your area of expertise
as a way to brand your business, set yourself up as an expert and
educate others about who you are and what you do. However, there
are too many of us who gravely fear public speaking. There are some
easy tools that you can use in this area that might help you
alleviate your concerns.
If you have access to a video camera, be sure to use it to record
yourself rehearsing your presentation. Look at your body language
and note any annoying habits you may have. Once noted…stop doing
them! If you do not like what you see, work hard to correct these
bad traits.
Memorize your presentation. Do not stand behind a podium while
reading from your script. If you cannot memorize your speech, write
out key points on notecards. If you must use notecards, it is a
smart maneuver to number their corners. This will protect you if
you accidentally drop your cards. It will reduce shuffle time and
help you to stay focused.
Many professional speakers feel that the use of PowerPoint is a
dead tool. The reason many feel this way is because presenters have
a tendency to read directly from the slides. If you feel compelled
to utilize PowerPoint then the rule of thumb should be to keep your
text very short. One or two words and a picture is what most
professional speakers recommend.
Implementing some of these ideas into your routine can help your
work days run more efficiently. Once you have more time in your
day, you will have time to speak at workshops and other events
because you will be well rehearsed and polished. Sometimes it is
the simplest of changes that end up being the momentum for positive
change. Try at least one of these hints and see for yourself how
little things can mean a lot when it comes to your daily
routine.
You can reach Carol by email at: carol@urpr.biz |
April
2007 Voicemail
Tactics There are a lot of reasons salespeople
hate cold calling. Many of the reasons have to do with simply not
being prepared. In my next few columns, we will discuss areas that
frequently need to be improved when working within the sales
arena. Many sales associates make first
contact by telephone before meeting a client in person. This can be
a make or break moment when the measure of your first impression is
the type of voicemail message you leave when a client is
unavailable. Listed below are some easy, yet often overlooked tips
that can help you make a more impactful first
impression. 1.
You should never leave a message saying that you plan on calling
your client back. This gives the recipient a reason to ignore your
message 2.
Make sure to repeat your phone number twice. If you make it hard
for the person to write the number down by speaking too fast, or
not repeating the number, you have given them another reason to not
call you back. 3.
Always leave an “action” message for the listener. In other words,
create a reason for them to call you back. Your goal is to get your
phone call returned, so never leave information that gives your
client the ability to make a decision. If the decision is “no,”
they may never return the call. 4.
Tuesdays through Thursdays are the best days to leave a message.
Friday messages will rarely be returned, and Monday is a priority
day for many businesses. You call may not be a high priority on
such a busy workday. 5.
Remember that the best time to leave a voicemail message is between
6:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. or from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Decision
makers frequently work during these time periods. Calling during
these windows of time will also let your clients know that you are
as serious as they might be when it comes to your work
schedule. 6.
Most voice mail systems also let the listener know what time of day
you have made your call. If you call at an unusual hour, the
listener may think that it is not a big priority for you to speak
with them since you are calling when they obviously are not at the
office. 7.
If you are listing talking points within your message, make sure
you clarify this at the beginning. For example, “I have three
issues I would like to discuss, issue number one is….” Otherwise,
your call may get deleted without the information being shared with
your client. 8.
Do not forget that everyone you deal with may not be in the same
time zone as you. Make sure you consider these time factors when
calling other parts of the country. 9.
Websites are very important to utilize, except when leaving a
voicemail message. If they can go to your website to learn more
about you, they may not like what they see and decide not to call
you back. 10.
Make it short and concise. If you are unable to leave a message
that is between 7 and 15 seconds, do not bother to leave a message.
Anything longer is just asking to be deleted. 11.
When you leave a message, use the listener’s first name. Use it
twice, but do not use their last name. It will sound too impersonal
and will not make as much of an impact if it is too
formal. 12.
Voicemail messages can be a great opportunity to make an awesome
first impression. Be upbeat and cheerful. Leave a specific reason,
such as an event, for the purpose of your call. If it looks like
you are just trying to “sell” the listener, it can be yet another
reason for your message to be deleted. 13.
If you have a common denominator such as a co-worker or business
acquaintance, do not hesitate to refer to that person in your
message. This helps to create common ground and
help the listener identify more positively with you. Voicemail is one of many important
tools that you must master as a sales professional. A great way to
practice is to leave a motivational message each morning for
yourself. This will start your day in a positive
way and help set your stage for personal success. Meanwhile, take
note of your voice, the pace of the message, the content and
quality. If you are impressed with your skills, your clients will
be too. So the next time you leave a voicemail
message, think about these thirteen points. If you sharpen your
voicemail skills, it can be one more rung on the ladder to your
financial success in sales. |
March 2007 Failure When my children were younger, one of their favorite books that
we liked to read aloud during story time was James Stevenson’s
“Could Be Worse!” In the book, whenever the grandchildren complain
of common problems such as a lost kite, flat tire or a splinter,
Grandpa responds each time with the seemingly boring, “Could be
worse.”
What was special about this character is that his behavior mirrors
that of any successful businessperson. There is no problem that is
of any consequence if you do not view it as permanent. Everyone has
setbacks. What sets you apart from those less successful is when
you choose to identify and deal with your failures.
An important factor to take into consideration is that you should
never be too hard on yourself. You have heard me say it before,
there are enough people lined up in your life to do that for you.
Do not be your own worst enemy! You cannot learn your lessons if
you are wasting your energy beating yourself up.
Failure is a life lesson. It is an opportunity to learn. When
someone starts a business and fails that does not make that person
a failure. It makes them experienced entrepreneurs. These
individuals have learned about business plans, strategic planning,
implementation and more. The trick is to take these skills and
incorporate them with the lessons learned from the business
collapse and improve their future ventures.
We have all heard the expression, “it isn’t whether you win or
lose, it’s how you play the game.” That is actually pretty strong
advice. Even when you are losing a game, you should be analyzing
why you are losing. It is a temporary setback that has a powerful
message from which to learn.
Flexibility is the key to change. You already identify the things
that you have done wrong. It is time to change your behavior. Push
the ego aside and realize that this is important for the growth of
your business. When you find yourself in similar environments,
remember to remind yourself how you got into these problems in the
past. Avoid the same behavior so you can prevent repeating these
issues over and over again. Ask the important questions: Did you
try to do too many things at once, which prevented you from giving
100% when you had problems in the past? Were you not totally
informed on your competition, which disallowed a strong competitive
advantage when you gave your presentation? What behavior or bad
habits will you need to avoid to insure success in the future?
Finally, give yourself permission to move on. You shouldn’t dwell
on your failures or your successes. You should greet each day with
the passion it deserves. Never forget that each day is a new day,
with new challenges, and new opportunities to grow your personal
success.
Remember the words of the Irish Civil Rights Leader Bernadette
Develin. “Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win.”
Carol Lynn Blood, President and Founder of U R P R is well known
for her ability to generate buzz. Most recently as the Executive
Director of the La Vista Area Chamber of Commerce where various
programs received attention through regional, national and
international media sources. Her 20+ years in Non-Profits, Sales
and Management have given her an unusually broad base of experience
with which to diagnose and remedy an organization’s communications
and public relations concerns.
She is the author of the column “Minding Your Business” by Carol
Blood, a Public Relations Consultant, Business Coach and Public
Speaker.
You can reach Carol by email at: carol@urpr.biz |
February 2007 Common Denominator I was at a recent social event when I overheard someone comment
on another professional’s business card case. “You must know Carol
Blood,” they stated. The other person laughed and the two began a
conversation.
People who have attended my networking seminars know the importance
I place on business cards and how this tool is presented. You have
no other tool that is more powerful, with the exception of your
handshake. However that is a topic destined for a different
column.
The part of the conversation that stimulated this column is the
fact that both of the networkers either knew me or had heard of me.
When two individuals meet, and know one person in common, that
person becomes what I like to call their common denominator. You
become a common denominator when you have done an effective job of
branding both your name and the name of your business into other
people’s minds.
It reminds me of the game developed by the college students from
Albright College. It was based on the theory that Kevin Bacon is
the center of the entertainment universe, and that any actor or
actress can be linked back to him, typically within six degrees
(six connections). By looking at movies that they have in common,
you can link them to Kevin Bacon. Fox example, Jack Nicholson was
in “A Few Good Men” with Kevin Bacon. Michelle Pfeiffer was in
“Wolf” with Jack Nicholson, who was in “A Few Good Mean” with Kevin
Bacon. And so on. The number of intervening movies is that actor or
actresses Bacon Number or degree number. Thus, in this example,
Nicholson would have a Bacon Number of 1 and Pfieffer a Bacon
Number of 2.
I certainly do not believe that I am the center of the networking
universe, but it is interesting how other professionals can easily
learn about you through word of mouth marketing.
I decided to research my theory on the Internet. It came as no
surprise when I immediately discovered the organization WOMMA.
WOMMA is an acronym for Word of Mouth Marketing Association. The
mission of this organization is to help others build thriving
professions based on best practices, effective standards, and
ethical leadership. The members of this group are experts and
innovators who have mastered the art and science of creating
genuine customer enthusiasm, amplifying it, and sharing it with
others.
None of this is rocket science. We frequently see businesses
spending thousands of dollars on ineffective marketing without
results. Other organizations understand the benefits of a job well
done, taking care of their clients and expressing sincere
enthusiasm with everyone they come in contact with. The latter is
based on basics that go back to Napoleon Hill and Dale Carnegie.
Why do we keep trying to reinvent this wheel?
In summary, becoming a common denominator means imprinting you and
your organization. When others speak highly of you and show an
interest in your organization, the word gets around fast. Pass it
on!
Today is as good of a time as any to amp up your word of mouth
marketing and help your business reach that next rung on the ladder
of success.
You can reach Carol by email at: carol@urpr.biz
|
January 2007 More Than a Business Plan As business owners, we know the importance of a business plan
and how to work it. However, owning a business must be about more
than a business plan. Your business should be a benefit to the
owner, not the other way around.
Contemplate this. If you are one of the people who created a
business plan and then amended your life based on this plan, you
have made a big mistake. The purpose of starting your business was
probably to allow you money, freedom and flexibility. These things
allow you to lead your life. If you have started a business and are
now trying to change your personal life as a result, you have
created more work for yourself.
So what is a tired business owner to do? It is time to
revisit your business plan and amend it to address your personal
life. Take a moment and write down your personal goals. Build
your life plan first and then create the business plan around your
hopes, goals and dreams.
Consider this a stepping-stone to your business plan. I like to
call it pre-planning. When you are pre-planning, you need to
consider the following points:
What gets you excited? What personal goals do you have for
yourself? What would you like to do with your money?
What is truly important to you and your family?
How much time do you want to spend with your family?
Are you able to make time for your friends and people you
value?
Where do you want to live?
How will you be able to maintain good health?
How much money do you need to personally make? Will your business
meet this goal? Are you able to save for retirement?
What is the level of stress you are able to handle?
Would you like to contribute your time or talents to your
community?
Can you make a living having fun?
Are you constantly working and improving your relationships?
Will you have the resources to have free time for travel and
respite? Is there any place you would like to visit in the
immediate future?
Do you have an exit strategy for your business? Will you sell it or
pass it on to someone you trust? Will you close it down or reduce
the number of hours that you work and keep it going after you
retire?
After you have these answers, you are able to write a better
business plan. Your business plan now becomes something that
embraces your hopes and dreams. You not only understand how your
business works, but will be stimulated by the newly found
motivation that you have discovered during your pre-planning.
Life is short. It is too short to spend time feeling stressed and
overwhelmed. If your business has become a burden, take time to
reflect on your personal life. Answer the aforementioned thirteen
questions and decide what move needs to be made next. If your
business is not benefiting you as the owner, it is time for a
change.
You can reach Carol by email at: carol@urpr.biz |
December 2006 Loving your work Last issue’s article entitled “More Than A Business Plan,”
resulted in several emails and phone calls from readers who had a
lot of great questions about business expansion and business
start-ups. The interesting theme that I consistently shared with
all of these contacts is how important I believe it is to truly get
to know yourself before you move forward on any business issue. It
is time to ask important questions about your career and the
work-life balance you desire. You need to find the work that you
love.
Many people have interesting stories about how they came into their
careers. They may have started at an entry-level position and rose
up through the ranks to management. Perhaps they went to college
for a degree, got into that same field of work and stuck around
because they did not want to lose the time that they had invested
in the organizations retirement program and other enticing
benefits.
Regardless of where people are at in life, it is always beneficial
to take a step back periodically and assess whether the current
work choice is the best long-term career choice. It is necessary to
ask hard questions about personal values and goals.
Consider your response to the following questions. Do you actually
enjoy the work you do on a daily basis? Is this really the amount
of money that you need to make to reach your immediate and
long-term goals? When you start your day, is your job a motivating
factor when it comes to your daily level of happiness?
Be honest with yourself and do a self-assessment. This exercise can
be as easy as making a list. Take a piece of paper or sit in front
of your computer and get busy listing. Write out everything you
would like to do with your life. Are there places you would like to
visit? Do you have specific accomplishments that you would like to
achieve within a certain window of time? Write down everything you
desire. If your current employment allows you to accomplish these
goals, that is fantastic! If the expression “You don’t drown by
falling in the water, you drown by staying there” applies, it is
time to figure out your next step.
Now if you are in the group that needs to move on to plan “B,” the
next step is to write out your plan. A plan can be the best tool
you have to take your dreams and really make them into something
concrete. Be very detailed when you write your plan. Have specific
steps that can propel you from where you currently are to where you
want to be. This plan will be the driving force for your personal
success.
Keep yourself informed when it comes to available options. Invest
in books such as VGM’s Careers Encyclopedia or Cool Careers For
Dummies. You might find a job description that calls out to your
expertise.
Consider speaking with a trusted mentor about your potential. That
expert can help you sort out your strengths and help you to focus
on where you might want to apply your energy when looking for a
potential career. It is important to not take any of this input
personally. If you are asking these important questions, be sure
that you are willing to accept these personal observations with an
open mind. Otherwise, meeting with an outside party will never
prove to be productive.
If you have a desire to love your work, you need to find a career
that is really the best fit for your life. At the very least, you
need to form a plan. Figure out what you want out of life because
finding work that you love will make a huge difference in your
quality of life. Think about how much of your time and energy is
utilized each day at your job. This is a giant investment. Your
choice of employment can never be overestimated.
Find the work that you love before you find that you have missed
out on the potential joy and fulfillment that this dream career can
bring to your life. Life is way too short to end it with regrets
that could have easily been corrected with something as simple as
setting a few personal goals.
You can reach Carol by email at: carol@urpr.biz
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